Method of assembling stiffeners in shoe uppers and the article produced thereby



H. BAYNARD W. METHOD OF ASSEMBLING STIFFENERS IN SHOE UPPERS AND THE ARTICLE PRODUCED THEREBY July 30, 1929.

Filed Feb. 17, @923 Patented July, 30, 1929.

WILLIAM H.

BAYNARD, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'lO HARRY H.

IBECKWITH, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING STIFFENERS IN SHOE 'U'PIEERS AND THE ARTICLE PRO- DUCED THEREBY.

Application filed February 17, 1923. Serial No. 619,555. i

This invention relates to the assembly with shoe uppers of stiffeners of that type, usually composed of fibrous sheet material saturated with asphaltic or similar compounds, which may be softened by the application of heat, and provides a method by which the stiffener .may be firmly attached without the use of cement or fastening devices. For this purpose the material of the stiffener is heated locally to render it sufiiciently sticky to partially saturate and adhere to the shoe lining or other portion of the shoe upper.

The invention also relates to a machine particularly designed to aid in carrying out this process and to the article produced thereby.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan of the machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

. Figure 3 is a plan of a toe stiffener.

Figure 4. is a detail longitudinal section through the toe portion of a shoe upper showing the stiffener inserted.

In carrying out this process means are provided for locally heating the stiffener in order to effect the melting and exudation of some of the saturant whereupon the stiffener is placed in position relative to the shoe upper and the exuded saturant to partially saturate a portion of the shoe upper so that whenthe parts are allowed to cool the stiffener is firmly united thereto.

The means for be of any suitable shown in Figure 1 'vided. description heated electrically, or otherwise, but should be heated'to a sufficient tempera ture to cause the saturant to melt and fry out of the stiffener at itssurface when the description but as herein latter is placed thereon to effect a local exudation of saturant and cause the stifiener to become tacky or stic V For the purpose of applying pressure to the upper and stiffener after the latter has been so treated, a pressure mechanism has been devised which should be situated closely adjacent the hot plate so that the pressing operation may be performed immediately after the heat treatment of the stiffener. As"

this mechanism comprises a vertically 5 which is carried art-the upper I shown nicvable table loose pulleys the parts subjected to pressure to cause a a hot plate 1 has been pro- This plate may be of any suitable The toe portion of end of a plunger 6 passing downwardly through a sleeve 7 fixed to a'supporting frame 8. The lower end of the plunger 6 has pivoted thereto at 9 a treadle 10 which is fulcrumedat ll to the frame 8. The pivotal connection 9 may be of a nature to permit a certaln amount of endwise playrelative to the treadle so that the treadle may move throughout its requir'edstroke without causing binding between it and the plunger 6 or between the plunger 6 and the sleeve 7. The table 1s normally held in an elevated position by means of a spring 12 which is shown as reacting between a pin 13 projecting laterally from the upper end of the sleeve 7 and an eye 14: in the treadle.

The spring 12 causes'the table 5tobe resihcntly pressed upward against a pressure member comprising a roller 15. This roller 18 earned at theend of a bar 16 which may be reciprocated within a guide 16 carried by the table 8. For the purpose of reciprocating the roller 15 in a plane parallel to the surface of the frame, the bar 16 may have pivoted at its rear end a connecting rod 17 engaging at its rear enda crank pin 18 fixed to a crank disk 19. The disk 19 is fixed to an actuating shaft 20 which may have tight and 21 and 22 thereon for engagement by a driving belt 23. Also fixed to the frame 8 isa platform 25, of which is substantially on a level with the upper surface of the table 5 when the latter is in its fully depressed position. heating the stifiener may Assuming that it is desired to incorporate a toe stiffener such as shown in Figure 3 at 30 in the shoe upper, the operator lays therear thin edge 31 thereof on the hot plate, thus causing the saturant' at this portion of the stiffener tofry out from the pores of the fibrous material which forms the base of the stiffener and causing this portion of the, stiffener to become tacky or sticky without substantially softening the stiffener as a whole. an upper having been placed on the platform 25 as shown ati32, the stiffener 30 is inserted therein with the portion 31 in contact preferably with the lining the upper surface 33 and between it and. the usual plug or doubler 34, both of which are usually composed of fabric and often'with a fleecy surface positioned.v toward the stiffener. The

- ar "then depresses the treadl'e 10' and the r therein then moved laterally beneath the roller whereupon the operator releases the treadle and the table 5 raises to press the upper and stiffener between it and the roller 15 which is being reciprocated. This causes pressure to beexerted'to force the saturant fried out from the surfaceof the stiffener along the portion 31 to partially sat-, urate one or more fabric portions of the upper so that when the saturant is permitted to cool and become hard, the stiffener is firmly united to the upper, using the saturant as a bond therebetween. When the operator again depresses the treadle as for placing beneath the roller 15 a subsequent upper and stiffener, the portion of the upper overhanging the forward edge of the table 5 which is considerably greater than the portion supported on the table overbalances this latter and causes the completed upper to fall from the table 5 into the operators lap. The table is thus cleared automatically for the placing thereon of the succeeding upper and stiffener;

It will thus be seen that it is unnecessary with the method of" the present invention to stitch the-stiffener in position before the upper is ready for the pulling over and lasting operations, stitching being a troublesome operation due to the saturant gumming up the needle and threa d,'and the stitch holes in the upper permitting the saturant to exude during the later shoemaking operations when the saturant is in softened condition.

Having thus described an embodiment of this invention it shouldbe evident that various modifications and changes might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims;

I claim:

1. The method-which comprises-heating a surface of an unassembled shoe stiffener'capable of being softened by heat sufficiently to render it sticky and then inserting the sticky stiffener in position relative to a shoe upper.

2. The method which. comprises locally heating a surface of a stiffener capable of being softened by heat sufficiently to. render it sticky, assembling the sticky stiffener with relation to a fabric portion of a shoe while 0E thelast, and pressing the portion and stiffener together while off the last to cause them to adhere in proper position.

3 The method which comprises locally heat-ing a surface of a stiffener capable of be- 'ing'softened by heat sufficiently to render fit sticky, assembling the stickystiffen'er with relation to the lining ofa shoe while off the last, and pressing the lining and stiffener together while off the last to cause them to adhere in proper position.

4. The method which comprises heating the surface of a toe stiffener capable of being softened by heat sufficiently along its rear margin to become tacky, assembling'the stiffener in position with relation to said shoe upper while off the last with said tacky portion adj acent a fabric part of the shoe upper, and pressing said part and stiffener together while off the last to fix the stiffener in position.

5. The method which comprises'subj ecting a portion ofthe surface of a shoe stiffener comprising. a fibrous base saturated with material which softens when heated to heat sufficient to melt a portion of the saturant and render the stiffener surface tacky, and assembling the stiffener so treated in a shoe upper while off the last and while off the last uniting the stiffener to the upper at the tacky portion by pressure. i V

6. The method which comprises subjecting a. marginal portion of the surface of a shoe stiffener, com-prising a fibrous base saturated with material which softens when heated, to heat sufficient to melt a' portion of the saturant and cause it to exude from said base,.and then assemblingsaid stiffener ina shoe off the last with said heated portion against a fabric portion of the shoe, pressing theparts together while still off the last to cause the exuded saturant to penetrate'said fabric portion, and permitting it to cool and harden to effect a bond between the shoe andstiffener.

7 The step product which consists of an unpulled over-shoe upper havingastiffener of saturated fibrous material locally united thereto by the saturant, the adhering area of the stiffener being only a relatively small portion of its whole area, and adjacent to the rear edge of the stiffener- 8. The ,step product which consists; of an uupu-lled over shoeupper comprising afabric portion, and a stiffener of saturated fibrous material locally united to said portion by the saturant, the adhering. area of the stiffener being only a relatively small portion of its whole area and adjacent tothe rear edge of the stiffener.

9. The step product which consists of an unpul-led over-shoe upper comprising a fabric portion, and a stiffener of fibrous material saturated with a compound capable of being softened by heat locally united to the fabric portion by said compound, the adhering area of the stiffener being only a relatively small portion'of its wholejarea and adjacent to the rear edge of the stiffener.

10; The step product which consists of an unpul-ledover-shoe upper comprising a fabric portion, and a-stiffener of fibrous material saturated with a compound capable of being softened by heat locally united to said fabricportionv by heat and pressure sufficient to cause said compound to partially melt and unite with said fabric, the adhering area of the stiffener being only a relatively small portion of its whole area and adjacent to-the. rear edge of the stiffener.

11. The step product in the manufacture of shoes which comprises an. assembled unpulled over upper and a stiffener, saidv stiffener comprising a fibrous base saturated with a stiffening agent, a portion of said stiflening comprising a fibrous base saturated with a agent along one edge of the stifiener only stiffening agent, a portion of said stiffening bonding the stiffener in position. agent along, one edge of the stiflener only 1 12. The step product in themanufacture of bonding the stiffener to said fabric portion. 5 shoes which comprises an assembled unpulled In testimony whereof I have affixed my sigover upper and a stifiener, said upper oomnature. prising a fabric portion, and said stifiener WILLIAM H. BAYNARD. 

